In order to keep some sort of regularity in the random world that is my head, I’ve decided to devote Thursdays to remembering some of the great music from my childhood. When I say childhood, I really mean my teenage years, because let’s face it. I grew up in the 80’s in a home where all I was allowed to listen to was my dad’s classical music or my mom’s sad-FM soft rock. Ah, yes the days of Glenn Medeiros and the canoe song.

Glenn Medeiros did not sing a canoe song. He was one of the more popular artists on my mom’s soft rock station though. The canoe song was from my dad’s collection of Civil War songs with which he used to torture me and my brother on the way up to my grandparents’ summer house in the Catskills. Civil War songs made the 2 1/2 hour ride seem more like an eternity. But that and Family Radio was about all that was on my parents’ approved for listening list. They (well mostly my dad) were super strict about my listening habits.

Any cool music required some sneaking. So when I was about ten, I bought myself a Walkman. Unfortunately, at the time I didn’t know what cool really was, because I’d been kept from it for pretty much my whole life. But I did get Z100 loud and clear, so I listened to top 40 pretty regularly. There was a lot of Milli Vanilli through headphones in my past. It’s a sad time of my life and I’d rather not talk about it.

After that was a fun little obsession (like all 12-13 year old girls at that time) with New Kids On The Block, followed by my first real encounter with Christian rock. That was back when it completely sucked, though. More sad musical choices I’d rather not discuss. And then… Finally… My musical journey took a turn in the right direction.

I was about 15 years old when I first heard Nevermind and my life was changed forever. I quit WWDJ and Z100 for good. I discovered WDRE. That was back when there was actually a decent rock station in New York. DRE played the Smiths, the Stone Roses, R.E.M., Nirvana… I could go on. But I won’t because you’ll be bored. Earlier today I heard one of my favorite Smiths songs, “How Soon Is Now?” and I decided I wanted to talk about some of those artists that shaped my tastes now.

Next week I’ll have something good. Right now I’m debating whether I should write about The Smiths or R.E.M., but I might just pull some Violent Femmes out of left field or something. Not sure yet… Stay tuned.